Intimate Country House Weddings at Ballyvolane House
A final chapter for weddings at Ballyvolane
Weddings have been a wonderful part of life at Ballyvolane House for many years.
We have had the enormous pleasure of welcoming couples, families and friends from Ireland and around the world for ceremonies in the woods, drinks on the lawn, long dinners in the dining terrace and dancing late into the night in the old stone barn.
After much thought, we have decided that Ballyvolane House will no longer host weddings from 2028 onwards.
It has not been an easy decision. We have loved hosting weddings and have made many friends along the way, but they are also a very substantial undertaking for a small, family-run historic house.
Ballyvolane is first and foremost our home, as well as a historic house and estate that we are responsible for looking after for future generations. The time feels right to move towards a gentler rhythm of private house stays, retreats, family gatherings and smaller celebrations.
Until then, we will continue to host weddings through 2027, with the same care, enthusiasm and attention to detail as ever.
And we fully intend to enjoy every last one.
A country house wedding that feels like a house party
Tucked away in the beautiful north Cork countryside, Ballyvolane has been in the Green family for generations, so you and your wedding guests can enjoy a slice of home-from-home ancestral chic.
Ballyvolane House is the Winner of the Weddingsonline Awards 2022 Country House Venue of the Year.
Idyllic Country House Wedding Venue
Originally built in 1728, the house was remodelled in Victorian times in more Italianate style; it’s filled with family heirlooms, portraits and antiques.
The house is stylish, homely and has heaps of character; more “house party” than hotel.
Ballyvolane is run in an unstuffy and relaxed manner but you get all the attention to detail you would expect in a top-notch hotel. Couples also get the entire house and grounds on an exclusive basis for the duration of their wedding.
Step inside
Guests arrive through the front door into the pillared entrance hall, complete with Blüthner baby grand piano and hand-stencilled doors.
The drawing room at the rear of the house overlooks the terraced lawns and gardens and works beautifully for drinks receptions and smaller civil ceremonies.
Outside, the lawns and gardens provide plenty of space for drinks, photographs, lawn games and generally catching up with people you may not have seen for far too long.
Woodland Wedding Ceremonies
Ballyvolane sits within more than 80 acres of gardens, mature woodland, lakes and parkland.
Wedding ceremonies and blessings can take place in the woods, gardens or beside the lakes, giving you plenty of choice depending on the atmosphere you want to create.
And because this is Ireland, we also have a large rustic hay barn available for ceremonies should the weather decide not to cooperate.
For winter weddings, we have also worked with nearby Lismore Castle for ceremonies before returning to Ballyvolane for the celebration.
Dinner, drinks and dancing
The wedding meal is served in our glazed dining terrace, which accommodates up to 140 guests.
One side looks out across the gardens, while the other adjoins the old stone barn, home to the bar and dancing area.
This gives the celebration a wonderfully natural flow - from dinner, to drinks, to dancing, without anyone having to disappear off to another part of the venue.
And once the lights go down and the disco ball comes on, the barn rather comes into its own.
Food from Ballyvolane
Food glorious food is a huge part of what we do.
We grow vegetables, salads and herbs in our walled garden, forage when the season allows and work closely with excellent local producers.
For wedding catering, we work with Eamo and Ró, chef-patrons of Eamo & Ró Café & Larder, who now lead all wedding and event catering at Ballyvolane House.
Their style is seasonal, generous and rooted in great local ingredients, with a strong emphasis on produce from some of the best farmers, cheesemakers, butchers and fishermen in our locality.
Together, we create wedding menus that feel right for Ballyvolane - relaxed, thoughtful and full of flavour, whether that means a long sharing feast, a rehearsal dinner the night before or something completely tailored to the celebration.
Real Ballyvolane weddings
To give you a sense of the variety of the many wonderful weddings that we’ve hosted here at Ballyvolane, we’ve compiled a list of links to some real Ballyvolane weddings here and also added some videos and photoshoots to our blog here
We are also delighted to be featured One Fab Day’s 100 Best Wedding Venues.
Your Hosts
We are Justin and Jenny Green, and Ballyvolane is both our home and our family business.
Between us, we have many years of international hotel experience, but Ballyvolane has always been run in a deliberately relaxed and personal way.
Together with our team, we will look after you and your guests throughout the celebration, making sure everything runs as it should while keeping the atmosphere informal and enjoyable.
Secluded, but surprisingly easy to reach
Ballyvolane feels wonderfully tucked away, but we are only around 30 minutes north of Cork City and approximately 35 minutes from Cork Airport.
Dublin is around 2.5 hours away by car.
So your guests can disappear into the Cork countryside without actually disappearing off the map.
Wedding Availability through 2027
We will continue to host weddings through 2027, subject to availability.
From 2028 onwards
From 2028, our focus will move towards private house stays, family gatherings, retreats, celebrations and exclusive-use weekends.
The house, gardens, barns, food and hospitality will all still very much be here - just enjoyed in a slightly different way. If you are looking for somewhere to gather family or friends for a special few days, we would love to welcome you.
If you are considering Ballyvolane for a wedding before then, we would be delighted to hear from you and talk through what you have in mind.
Telephone: 025 36349
Email: info@ballyvolanehouse.ie